Bittersweet 16
by blAnk pAgE drEAm
Summary: It's Yumi's 16th birthday, and drama is running high. Ulrich is acting strangely, and William has asked her out on a date! But does he have other intentions? What's a girl to do? My first fanfiction.
1. Morning Rush

Bittersweet 16

On the day of her 16th birthday, Yumi Ishiyama would never have guessed what was to happen. It all started when her alarm clock failed to go off in the morning.

Yumi opened her dark eyes and scanned the room out of habit. Sunlight dappled the comforter of her bed, warming her legs and casting pleasant light all around the room. For a moment, Yumi was inclined to just bury her head back into the pillow and drift back into slumber. Instead, Yumi glanced at her clock. It winked back at her: "12:00." Yumi frowned, her brain still fuzzy with sleep. That couldn't be right. She checked her wristwatch instead. "7:46," it read. That was better. Something about this number bothered Yumi. She racked her sleep-befuddled brain for the source of her anxiety. There was nothing that she needed to do, except maybe work a little on her homework. She was getting so behind with all these XANA attacks… Homework. School!

Suddenly, Yumi was very much awake. She scrambled out of bed and raced to her dresser. Classes started at 8:00 a.m. sharp. She was so late! Yumi stripped off her nightshirt and threw on her favorite grey T-shirt with the words "Sarcastic? Me?" blazed on the front. She ran a comb hurriedly through her ebony hair.

Once she was downstairs, Yumi reached automatically for where the piece of toast should have been. Her hand met nothing but air. She looked over and realized that it was empty except for a note sitting on top of at couple of dollars for lunch. She picked up the note and read it quickly.

_Yumi,_

_Left this morning at 5:00 for Hiroki's soccer tournament. Didn't want to wake you. We'll be gone until Sunday afternoon. Don't forget to buy lunch!_

_-Mom and Dad_

_P.S. Happy 16th birthday! We'll celebrate when we get back._

Yumi considered the note for a moment, then balled it up and tossed it in the trashcan. Her watch beeped. 7:55. Yumi swore under her breath, scooped up the money, and was out the door as quick as a flash.


	2. Lunchtime conversation

Ten minutes later, Yumi stumbled into math class. "I-I'm sorry, Mrs. Mayer," she panted, trying to catch her breath. "I overslept."

Mrs. Mayer looked pointedly at Yumi, but nodded. "Very well, Ms. Ishiyama. I'll speak to you after class."

Yumi nodded gratefully, and then took her usual seat. William, his overlong hair falling into his grey-blue eyes, leaned over so he could speak to her once the teacher had turned away. "I was starting to get worried," he said in a low voice, flashing a quick smile in her direction.

"Oh yeah?" Yumi asked playfully. "You think that I can't take care of myself?"

"I know you can. I just wanted to make sure that you weren't sick on your birthday."

Yumi felt a little shiver of pleasure. He had remembered! William continued, "Listen, I was thinking… If you don't have any plans with you family tonight, maybe we-"

"Mister Dunbar!" snapped Mrs. Mayer. "As interesting as your love life may be, I believe that this is my class and you are inclined to pay attention in it!"

Yumi blushed furiously. She glanced over at William. He did not seem remotely embarrassed.

* * *

The morning classes passed quickly. It seemed to Yumi that she had simply blinked, and suddenly she was sitting down to lunch with her friends.

Jeremie looked up as Yumi set her tray down. "Hi, Yumi." Jeremie had eyes that were the clear, crystal blue of the sky on a cloudless day, and today the usual dark circles under them were lighter. _He must have gotten a full night of sleep yesterday, _Yumi deduced. His white-blonde hair was cut short, but was so tousled that he looked as though he had just rolled out of bed. His shirt was light blue with some unknown brand's emblem on the front, and contrasted shockingly with his light skin. He wore thin, wire-rimmed glasses and had on plain cargo pants. To anyone else, Jeremie would have looked like an ordinary nerd, but Yumi knew him better than that. He could be very brave, and had a heart of gold, which belonged to Aelita.

"Weweroodismooring?" Odd asked around a mouthful of food. Odd, in contrast to down-to-earth Jeremie, had a unique personality that displayed itself in his fashion sense. His hair was a darker blonde than Jeremie's, and had a violet spot above his forehead. But what really made his hair stand out was the shape, curving back to reach a sharp point. His shirt was white with a homemade sketch of his dog, Kiwi, on the front, drawing attention to his love of the arts. He wore the same blue jeans he had almost every day of his life. Odd's skin was tanner than Jeremie's, though still not very dark, and his lavender eyes shone with the glow of mirth. He was the class clown, but Yumi had memories of his brief serious moments. Most of the time, though, Odd was just looking to get the most fun out of life as was possible.

"You do know that's really gross, right?" Yumi commented, sitting down next to Aelita.

"I think he said 'where were you this morning?'," Ulrich translated. "We were all wondering. Ulrich had overlong brown hair that hung down most of the time into his electrifyingly green eyes. His skin was tanned from all the hours that he spent outside playing sports, which showed themselves in the rippling muscles under his black shirt and blue slacks. Even though he was a year younger than her, he was already a head taller than Yumi.

Yumi glanced over at him when he spoke. Her dark brown eyes met his emerald ones before they were hidden by his hair as Ulrich dropped his gaze.

"My alarm reset itself," Yumi answered, addressing the group at large and pretending not to notice Ulrich's shyness, "And my parents weren't there to wake me up. They're at Hiroki's soccer tournament."

Aelita patted her shoulder sympathetically. Aelita also had an interesting style about her, though it was not as bold as Odd's. Her hair was cut tom-boyishly short, but was a bright bubblegum pink, which reflected her sunny personality. Her eyes were forest green, and seemed like two dark pools in her shell-pink face. Her skintight shirt was red with the word "Princess" on the front. Yumi smothered a giggle. _Good choice, Aelita. _Aelita's jeans were covered in stylish patches and were just a little too long for her. She and Yumi had been best friends ever since Jeremie had first materialized her, which people found a little strange. One was joyful and bubbly, while the other one was a goth. But regardless of what people thought, the two were inseparable.

"At least you weren't the only one late," Aelita told her. "Right, Ulrich?"

"Really? What were you doing?" Yumi turned her dark gaze on him once more.

"I'm still working the morning shift." Ulrich, who couldn't drive for another year, was already earning money for a new car. He had his eye on a Mustang, but it was way beyond his financial reach. He had been spending every spare moment working as a cashier at Wal-Mart.

Yumi smiled warmly. "How much do you have now?"

While Ulrich rattled off some four-figured number, Jeremie looked over at Yumi, one eyebrow raised. "Something electronic malfunctioned?" he asked in an undertone.

There was a note of suspicion in his voice, and Yumi thought that she knew why. "Don't worry," she told him. "I don't think that this has anything to do with XANA. Unless-" Yumi laughed "-XANA's evil plan was to ruin my sweet sixteen."

Smash! Ulrich had just dropped his glass. He dropped to his knees and started picking up the small shards of glass, his face flaming red. Everyone stared at him for a moment, and then looked away. All of them knew that Ulrich would just be more embarrassed if anyone commented.

"Oh, yeah." Aelita bent over and rummaged through her bag. "We weren't sure what to get you, so we just got you a $50 gift card to that one store. What was it called?" She pretended not to remember. "Hot something or other…?"

"Hot Topic?" Yumi grabbed the card that Aelita held out. "Oh, thank you! You rock!" She gave Aelita a quick hug.

"We all pitched in," Odd said proudly. Yumi privately wondered if Odd was hoping for a hug as well.

She was about to thank the rest of the group as well when she was interrupted by Ulrich swearing loudly under the table. Yumi ducked down. "Ulrich? Are you all..?" She trailed off as Ulrich came into view. He had picked up all the glass, but it seemed that he had cut himself anyways. Yumi reached out and touched his injured hand. Ulrich jerked away as if he had been burned, but Yumi ignored this, turning the hand over so that she could see his palm. The fingers had been sliced, and in the middle of the palm a deep cut ran freely. As she wiped the bloody glass away from it, Ulrich drew a sharp breath and tensed. "You'd better go to the nurse's office," Yumi told him, a note of concern in her voice.

Ulrich nodded and got to his feet. Cradling his injured hand, he stumbled out of the cafeteria, and headed to the infirmary.

Yumi was very subdued for the rest of the meal. After she had thrown the rest of the glass away, Yumi sat and listened to her friends talk. "Don't worry," Aelita said softly to Yumi as she got up to go to her next class. "I'm sure Ulrich will be fine." Yumi sighed. She certainly hoped so.


	3. William

Yumi did not pay much attention to her afternoon classes. Soon she stood outside her last class, feeling relieved. It was over, and she had the whole weekend to relax.

Yumi spotted Ulrich standing in the grounds nearby. She waved to him. He waved a heavily bandaged hand back, beckoning her over. In his other hand, Ulrich seemed to be holding a box of some sort. Yumi started to walk over, but a low voice stopped her.

"Hey, Yumi." Yumi turned around to face William. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked, smiling.

Yumi hesitated, looking back over her shoulder. Ulrich stood, waiting patiently. Sighing, Yumi turned her head away. _I'll talk to him later. _"Yeah, sure," she answered William.

William's smile widened. He took Yumi's arm gently and led her away from the rest of the students so that they wouldn't be overheard. "I was wondering if you had any plans for tonight."

Yumi thought for a moment. She had been thinking about inviting Aelita over for a sleepover, but that could wait. "No," she replied. "Why?"

"Well… I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me tonight. I could take you to dinner, and then later, we could catch a movie." William looked hopefully at Yumi out of the corner of his eye.

Yumi blinked and took a moment to consider his words. "Sure," she said at last. "I'd lo-like to do that." She had started to say "love", but something had stopped her.

William flashed her one of his award-worthy grins. "Great. I'll pick you up at eight, okay?"

"Sounds good." Yumi was telling the truth, it did sound like a good plan… but something inside her seemed unsettled. "See you!" She waved and started to walk away, but William called after her. She glanced over her shoulder. "Yeah?"

"When's your curfew?"

Yumi thought that this was a strange question, but answered, "Don't worry about it. My parents are out of town for the weekend." As soon as these words had left her lips, Yumi regretted them. William's stormy eyes sparkled as he waved goodbye. Yumi felt a twinge of unease. Had she just made a mistake?

In the meantime, Yumi decided to find Ulrich. But when she arrived back where he had been standing, she found the grounds deserted. Yumi pulled out her cell phone and speed dialed his number. "Hi, you've reached Ulrich's cell phone. Leave a message at-" Yumi hung up with the distinct feeling that she was being ignored.


	4. Yumi's Date

Yumi held up two shirts and studied how each would look on her in the mirror. Unhappy with both of them, she sighed and threw them onto her bed, atop a mountain of other rejected outfits. This was getting to a point of being ridiculous.

Eventually, Yumi found an outfit that she was satisfied with. She now wore a shirt that was made of black fabric that was interwoven with a silver metallic thread, so that whenever she moved, her torso shimmered like a mirage. Yumi had chosen fairly plain jeans that were ripped stylishly, and flared out at the bottom to show off her black leather boots. Yumi looked herself up and down in the full length mirror. Not perfect, but it would do. She wouldn't have had time to change it, anyway, since at that moment William's horn sounded from outside. Yumi caught up the strap of her small black bag and closed the front door behind her.

William was waiting in his cobalt blue Corvette. Yumi slid into the passenger seat. "Nice car," she commented. William was a few months older than she was, and his parents were very rich. She had heard rumors about this car, but as far as she knew, she was the first girl to ever see it.

"It's not nearly as nice as you look," William replied slyly, giving her a sidelong glance.

Yumi felt her face heat with embarrassment. Unsure of what to say, she was saved the trouble when William added, "I guess we should get going."

Yumi nodded, her thoughts distant.

* * *

Dinner was uneventful. William took Yumi to a really fancy restaurant, though later she found that she couldn't recall the name. She didn't remember much about dinner at all, for that matter; just a bunch of bits and pieces.

…Yumi and William were being led to their table by a waitress. She sat down and gave them both a wide smile. Yumi noted that her teeth were just a shade too yellow, and that the makeup she had caked on couldn't hide the dark shadows beneath her brown eyes. _Poor thing, _Yumi thought sympathetically as the waitress walked away. _They must work her half to death_…

…Yumi had obviously just said something funny. William was laughing, and started to answer…

…"So where do you go when you disappear with your friends?" William asked conversationally.

Yumi shrugged. "I don't know. Places. I don't really want to talk about it right now…" Yumi injected a purr into her voice, and William dropped the subject…

…The blonde waitress was back, handing the bill to William. Yumi reached for her bag, but William stopped her. "A real gentleman pays for his date's food," he told her, handing the waitress some money.

Yumi raised a skeptical eyebrow, but allowed him to pay for the meal. Unknown to him, she slipped a tip under her glass for the waitress…

Yes, Yumi's recollections of the meal were fragmented. But what was to happen next would be embedded into her memory forever.


	5. True Colors

Outside the restaurant, William opened the door to the Corvette for Yumi. "Why thank you, kind sir," Yumi joked as she slid into the seat.

William chuckled. "You're welcome, fine lady." He moved around to the driver's side and started the car.

"Hey," Yumi commented after a few minutes silence. "Aren't you going the wrong way? The theatre's that way." She pointed in the opposite direction.

William looked a little sheepish. "I hope you don't mind. I have to pick up something from my house first."

The unease, which had been forgotten during dinner, once again plagued her. "That's fine with me," she lied.

William rewarded her with one of his perfect-teeth smiles before facing the road again. Soon, the pair of them pulled up into an insanely long driveway. Yumi caught the first glimpse of William's house. The house, she could see, was sprawled over at least an acre of land, and was made up of dozens of rooms. The bricks were whitewashed with peeling, faded cream paint, though Yumi had the distinct feeling that it was made to look rustic, and that this house was actually very new. Ornate shutters framed the windows, and the arch over the front door was at least 18 feet high. There were neatly cut hedges just beyond an intricate gate, and far off, Yumi could hear the splashing of water. _They must have a waterfall or something. _The second story, in stark contrast to the first, was small, made up of only two or three rooms, as far as Yumi could tell. It was huge… too huge. The whole place felt empty. She shuddered.

William glanced over at her. "Are you cold?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"What? Oh, no, I'm fine."

William got out of the car and looked back at her. "Do you want to come in?"

Yumi blinked her chocolate eyes in surprise. "A-Are you sure your parents won't mind?" she asked timidly. Translation: Oh, thanks but no thanks.

"Positive." William opened the door. Resigned, Yumi got out and stood up, but hesitated before crossing the threshold.

"Is everything all right, Yumi?" William asked, still holding the heavy oak doors that made up the gateway into his house.

Yumi took her deep breath. _I could just say no, _Yumi thought. _I could just wait for him in the car. _All of her senses were screaming not to go inside. "Yes," she sighed. As she entered William's home, Yumi thought she caught a glimpse of something different in William's eyes. Triumph, she realized. But then it was gone.

William's white teeth flashed in a grin again. "Come on." He took Yumi's hand and led her up a spiraling staircase to the floor above.

Yumi had been wrong; the upper floor was made up of only one room. It was, she noticed once William had flicked on the lights, covered from floor to ceiling in navy blue paint. The ceiling itself was a creamy, swirling white, as was the carpet. A skylight allowed moonlight to penetrate the room, illuminating William's bed, which was half-smothered by and overlarge blue comforter. The lamp he had just clicked on rested on top of a desk, on which several papers were neatly stacked, next to some books that looked as though they had not been touched in years. A chair sat in front of the desk, similar to the one that Jeremie had in his room. A small wooden table was next to William's bed, and held an assortment of items, all in a tidy fashion, as were the possessions on the floating shelves. Yumi felt as if she had just been immersed in some deep-sea dive with all the blue surrounding them, and could almost feel the waves rocking her gently. Even so, something about this room felt unnatural. _It's too clean,_ she realized. _No one could possibly live like this. He planned this._

William bent over and started to rummage around in one of his desk drawers. "This will just take a moment," he assured Yumi. "You can sit down if you want," he added, gesturing to the bed.

Yumi declined, but William insisted. Yumi gave in and perched on the edge of the mattress. _It's really soft, _she noted grudgingly.

"Aha!" Evidently, William had found whatever he had been looking for. He straightened up and sat down next to Yumi. "Hold out your hand and close your eyes," he directed.

Yumi obeyed, now thoroughly confused, and felt the cold touch of metal in her hand after a few moments. "Okay, open them."

Yumi's eyes opened, and she stared at the piece of jewelry that William's had given her. It was a silver ring, small and perfect for her finger. The metal was intricately etched with many curls and flourishes. The stone itself was turquoise, and sat in the center.

"Do you like it?" William asked. "It was my grandmother's."

Yumi nodded. Despite herself, she slipped the ring onto her finger. It was beautiful.

"Do you like me?" William asked her more softly.

Yumi hesitated, unsure what to say. "Ye-es," she replied carefully after a moment. William leaned forward and kissed her.

Yumi pulled away. "William, what are you doing?"

"Isn't this what you want?" William wrapped his arms around Yumi's neck, drawing her closer and planting another kiss on her lips, more roughly this time.

_Maybe this is what I want, _Yumi thought. _After all, I do like William. _She had just started to kiss back when a pair of eyes blazed in her mind's eye. Not William's blue-grey eyes. These eyes were bright green. And Yumi suddenly knew that this was not where she wanted to be after all. In one swift movement, she had slapped William across the face and sent him sprawling on the floor.

"No," she answered, wiping her mouth. "No, this isn't what I want."

William hadn't moved, but he let out a low noise. It took Yumi a moment to realize that William was laughing. "I don't think you get it, Yumi." William raised his head to reveal an already bruising cheek, but his eyes were glittering with manic light. "This isn't your choice anymore."

Cold fear slipped over Yumi as she realized what William meant. She started to get up, but William was already on his feet. He grabbed her wrists and forced her back down. Yumi struggled and William brought his hand across her face. And then-Yumi wasn't even sure how it happened. One moment, William was above her, the next, he was on top of her. Yumi felt all the breath leave her lungs as William's weight smothered her. She could feel his hands already beginning to explore her body…

Suddenly, Ulrich was there. He burst through the door, pulled William off Yumi, and delivered a fierce punch to the jaw. "Stay away from her, asshole," he growled. Ulrich's voice was low and full of menace.

William wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. "Language, Stern," he taunted. "You wouldn't want to be getting in trouble. My advice? Just turn around and forget that you saw anything."

Ulrich looked livid. "I told you to stay away from Yumi," he repeated.

William smirked. "Suit yourself. But don't say that I didn't warn you."

Ulrich was unprepared for the blow that came next. He stumbled back a few paces, and then delivered a punch to the stomach with his left hand, as his right was still injured. William doubled over, gasping for breath. Ulrich stood still, unwilling to hit an opponent while he was down.

Big mistake. William swept Ulrich's legs out from under him. Ulrich fell to his knees, and started to rise, but-too slow. William's knee collided with the bottom of Ulrich's jaw. Yumi winced sympathetically as Ulrich spat out blood from biting his tongue.

William was laughing. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to do this." He kicked Ulrich again in the chest, so that he fell face-forward onto the carpet. "I told you, Stern. You should have just walked a-"

He was cut off by Ulrich, who was already on his feet and had delivered a devastating kick to William's ribs. William uttered a cry of shock as he was thrown backwards into his shelves, which crumpled on top of him. His head hit the wall with a resounding crack, and he slumped to the floor and lay still. "Dunbar," panted Ulrich. "You talk too much."

Ulrich turned to Yumi. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly.

Yumi blinked. She had been temporarily frozen as she watched the battle unfold, but now she seemed brought back to life. She sat up slowly. "Yeah…" she said after a moment.

"Did he…?" Ulrich could not bring himself to complete the question.

Yumi shook her head. "You… you came just in time. I just can't believe…" A tear trickled down her face and into her raven hair, followed by another.

"Shh…" Ulrich's strong arms slipped around her and drew her close. Yumi did not protest, but clung to him, burying her face in his shoulder like a small child. Ulrich did not try to say anything, just held her, stroking her hair. And Yumi was glad of it, weeping quietly into Ulrich's comforting embrace.

After what seemed like an eternity, Yumi ran out of tears to cry. Or maybe it was just that she no longer needed to. Ulrich's presence was slowly washing away the shock and pain. He held her for awhile longer, and Yumi lay limply in his arms, feeling his heart beat. Finally, she stirred and Ulrich drew away. "Are you going to be okay now?" he asked, wiping away one of the lingering tears gently with his finger.

Yumi nodded shakily. "I think so."

Ulrich stood. He walked over to the door and opened it for her.

"Just a moment," Yumi told him. She turned back to the crumpled mass that was William. She didn't even blink, but pulled off the ring and threw it at him. It landed in the tangled mass of his hair, where he was sure to find it when he woke.

Ulrich smiled warmly. "Are you ready to go now?"

Yumi nodded again, this time more confidently. "Yes, I am." And she allowed Ulrich to lead her home.


	6. Ulrich's Gift

Yumi's eyes fluttered open to a shaft of sunlight directly on her face. She groaned and turned over. It took a second for her to recall the events of the night before. She sat up so suddenly that she felt momentarily dizzy. She put a hand to her head, and looked around the room. A chair sat beside her bed with a carefully folded blanket on top of it. Ulrich. _He sat up all night, _Yumi realized. _He wanted to make sure that I was okay._

Yumi got out of bed, shivering as her bare feet touched to cold floor, since her boots were the only article of clothing that she had taken off last night to sleep. She walked into the kitchen, still half-asleep. She had just started to make herself some breakfast when she spotted something sitting on the table.

It was a white rose, sitting on top of a neatly wrapped package. Yumi picked it up and a note fluttered down onto the table. She lifted this, too, absentmindedly stroking the blossom. It read:

_Yumi,_

_I'm sorry that I couldn't give this to you yesterday. I hope that you like my gift. Happy 16th birthday._

_-Ulrich_

The corners of Yumi's mouth twitched. It was a serious note, but Yumi could hear his voice as plainly as if he had been standing right next to her, whispering in her ear.

Yumi picked up the gift. It was surprisingly heavy for such a small package. She ripped the paper away and lifted the lid of the black velvet box. A cry of surprise escaped her lips as she saw what Ulrich had given her.

It was a stunning necklace. The chain was golden, and the links were delicate and perfect. Six small teardrop diamonds winked at her on either side. But the center gem was the most breathtaking of all. An emerald, Yumi's birthstone, sat there. It was deep green and the size of her thumbnail. The entire necklace was stunning, but delicate, not too big and clunky. It was perfect for her. Yumi knew this without even putting it on.

"Oh, wow," Yumi breathed. Her legs suddenly felt weak, and she sank into a chair. She couldn't believe it. Why would Ulrich do something so incredibly sweet? How much had this cost?

The answer came almost immediately. Whoever had wrapped this for Ulrich had neglected to remove the tag. It fell away as she lifted the necklace from the velvet. Yumi gaped at the number on it. It was almost as much as Ulrich had saved for his car! Quick as a flash, Yumi had the telephone and was dialing Aelita's number with fumbling fingers.

"Hello?" came the voice from the other end.

"Aelita? It's me, Yumi."

"Yumi! What happened last night? Ulrich got back this morning, but he wouldn't tell us. He said that it was your business."

Yumi was grateful to the brown-haired boy for not invading her privacy by telling everyone else without asking her. She hesitated, and then started to explain briefly to Aelita what had happened the night before. When it came to the part with the necklace, she faltered and fell silent. _Why is it, _she thought wryly, _that I can tell all about what William almost did, yet I can't tell my best friend about a necklace?_

Aelita, who hadn't noticed this, was also silent for a moment also. "Oh my god…" she said at last. "I can't believe…"

"I know," Yumi said, and then added, "Hey, did Ulrich come to any of his afternoon classes yesterday?"

Aelita hesitated before answering. "No, he wasn't. He came back in the middle of science, but then he left again. He told Mrs. Hertz that his hand was hurting him too much to work." Another pause. "But… I don't think it was. I saw him writing with it, and he seemed just fine. Jeremie asked him about it too, but all he'd tell us is that he needed to do something important for… for you, Yumi."

Something clicked into place in Yumi's brain. Suddenly, everything made sense. Ulrich had forgotten her birthday yesterday. That was why he had dropped his glass; he had been taken aback when she mentioned her "sweet sixteen". And then, when Odd had told her that they all pitched in, Ulrich had felt guilty and clenched his hand automatically, forgetting that he was holding glass. He had skipped classes the rest of the day because he wanted to buy Yumi a present. And he had spent all his car money on it because…

"Hello? Yumi, are you there?"

Aelita's voice jerked Yumi out of her thoughts. "Yeah, I'm here. I have to go. I'll talk to you later, okay?" Yumi hung up the phone in a daze. She had a lot of thinking to do.


	7. Confessions

Yumi arrived at school early on Monday. She caught sight of her friends and started to walk over to them when someone stepped in front of her. It was William. Yumi felt a little twinge of anxiety in spite of herself, but kept her face impassive. "Morning, Dunbar," she said, referring to him by his last name as she attempted to brush by.

William smiled cruelly. "I know it was you," he told her softly, quietly enough so that no one else could hear him. "The anonymous phone call that was made to the police was you." Yumi stopped dead in her tracks. "I'm in a bit of trouble right now, thanks to you. But rest assured-" William had grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer, but Yumi still had to strain to hear his next words "- this isn't over. Not for you, not for Stern. Not for anyone, got that? You'll be hearing from me a lot sooner than you think." He released her and pushed her back, smirking as he turned away from her.

Yumi felt a shiver of fear run down her spine, but forgot William's threat as she joined her friends.

Jeremie raised his pale eyebrows. "You're early, Yumi. You usually eat breakfast at home."

Yumi shrugged. "I wasn't hungry. Besides, my parents are wiped out from the tournament. I didn't want to bother them."

"Were you talking to William just now?" Odd asked, who was the only one who didn't know what happened by now.

The atmosphere of the group changed instantly. Jeremie dropped his sky-blue eyes and stared at the dirt, his fingers on Aelita's shoulder tightening. Aelita let out a little involuntary noise. Ulrich's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Yes," Yumi answered in a nonchalant voice while Odd looked around the group, confused by the sudden anger. She glanced at Ulrich. "Can I talk to you for a moment, Ulrich?"

"What? Oh, sure." Ulrich followed Yumi away from the rest of the group, into the forest.

"I see your hand is better," Yumi commented, touching it gently. He had removed the bandage, and the cut had already begun to heal.

"Oh, yeah, that's true." It seemed that he had forgotten all about it. "Yumi… are you okay?"

Yumi paused to consider the question. "Yes," she told him at last. "Yes, I'm all right." And then, the question that she had been bursting to ask spilled out of her. "How did you know?"

She didn't need to explain; Ulrich knew what she was asking about. "Odd's girlfriend, Emily, heard that you were going out with William. She knew that Odd was your friend, and came looking for him in the dormitory last night. I was the only one there. It turns out that he pulls this with every girlfriend he has. I knew where his house was, so…" Ulrich trailed away. "… Yumi, I think that you could tell someone, preferably the police. You wouldn't want this happening-"

Ulrich stopped as Yumi put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I've already taken care of it. Don't worry." She had known at once that he had pulled this with other girls. He had been too good of an actor, played his part too well not to have done this before.

Ulrich grinned wryly. "I never do," he said quietly. He added in a more audible voice, "Was that all you wanted?"

Yumi shook her head. She took off her backpack and retrieved the velvet box from inside of it. Yumi held it out to him.

"You didn't like it?" Ulrich's voice didn't change, but Ulrich could see the pain in his jade eyes.

"No, I do," she said quickly. "I just… I can't accept this, Ulrich."

"Why?"

"I saw the price tag," Yumi confessed. "Buying that car means everything to you. I don't want you to spend it all on me. Here." Yumi shoved the box into his hands and started to walk away, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Doing something for you means more than any car ever could." Yumi turned, and saw that Ulrich's eyes were shining with passion. He continued:

"You mean more to me…"

_Please, don't say it, Ulrich._

"… than anyone else on earth."

_It would never work._

"You always have, Yumi…"

_We already tried this._

"… but I could never tell you."

_It's too complicated._

"I was afraid…"

_William's angry at both of us…_

"…that you wouldn't feel…"

_We'd just be a double target._

"..the same way that I do."

_We'd never hear the end of it from Odd._

"But not anymore."

_We were just meant to be friends…_

"Yumi…"

_…yet why do I feel…_

"I love you."

_…that this is right?_

Ulrich slid his arms around Yumi, drew her closer, and did what he had failed to do all those years ago on Lyoko: he kissed her. It was not a rough kiss as William's had been, Yumi noticed. Ulrich's was soft, almost hesitant, but she could feel all of his love and tenderness. And as Yumi melted into Ulrich's embrace, her doubts faded away. _This is where I belong._

Finally, Ulrich drew away. "I'm sorry," he said, his face turning red. "That was really stupid. I put you in a bad-"

Ulrich stopped for the second time that day as Yumi kissed him again, just as he had done. "What took you so long?" she asked with a grin.

A mixture of relief, joy, and wonder washed over Ulrich's handsome features. There were a few more words shared before they came back to their original subject.

"I still want you to have this," Ulrich told her, holding out the box.

Yumi stared at it for a moment, and then shook her head. "Ulrich, I can't." Her face had a resolute expression on it that was impossible to argue with.

Ulrich considered her for a moment. "How about this: I'll take it back for now. Then, when I have enough money for both, I'll buy it back for you." His face mirrored her stubborn resolve, and Yumi could not help laughing.

"Deal." She sealed it with a quick kiss.

Ulrich had opened his mouth to say something more when a peal of laughter interrupted him. Ulrich and Yumi turned as one to see Odd, roaring with laughter. "I knew it!" he gasped, pointing triumphantly at the pair of them.

"Odd, I'm going to kill you, you little spy!" Ulrich called to him. Odd darted off, still giggling weakly. Ulrich glanced over at Yumi. "Should we go after him?"

"We might as well."

Ulrich grinned and ran after Odd, calling after him, "Come on, Yumi!"

"I'm coming!" Yumi dashed after them, still thinking. _Ulrich, _Yumi decided, _had a great smile too._

The End

* * *

**This is my most recent story, but the first one I'm posting. Go figure. This is actually for a contest on another site, but I would still like you to R&R.**

**R to the 3rd**


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